The Favorite: West Virginia gets the pick here in a conference full of very good but not great teams. It's difficult not to expect a dropff with the graduation of quarterback Pat White, but I think every other contender is more flawed. They lost four games last year, but three of them were by a combined total of ten points. To win the Big East this year, the Mountaineers will probably need to win the Backyard Brawl, a game they've lost the past two years.
The Challenger: Pittsburgh came close to winning the Big East for the first time under Dave Wannstedt last year, but a 28-21 loss at Cincinnati left them in second place. The loss of several good skill position players and uncertain quarterback play concerns me about the offense.
The Sleeper: USF lost five conference games last season despite being one of the most talented teams in the conference. This is the senior season for quarterback Matt Grothe and defensive end George Selvie, and it's the last chance for a conference championship. The biggest issue is the inexperience on the offensive line, but there are three really easy non-conference games (Wofford, at Western Kentucky, Charleston Southern) to start the season that will give them an opportunity to gel.
The Letdown: Cincinnati has won 21 games in the past two seasons, but this appears to be a rebuilding year for them. They only have one returning starter on defense, and four of last year's starters were drafted. There's also new defensive coordinator in place. The Bearcats should be good enough to have another winning season, but I don't see them contending for the conference title.
Conference Players of the Year: Noel Devine (RB West Virginia) who will carry the Mountaineers on offense, and George Selvie (DE USF) on defense.
I Wrote What?: Which was worse in last year's preview, predicting that USF would win the conference with an 11-1 record or claiming that Louisville would make the leap to 9-3?
Non-conference Games to Watch:
* Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, Nov 14 - A late season game with both programs fighting for national respect. And oh by the way, last year's game was a four overtime thriller.
* East Carolina at West Virginia, Sept 12 - I'm sure WVU will be out for revenge against the only team that beat them by more than four points last year.
* USF at Florida St, Sept 26 - First meeting between the programs, they'll be playing for in-state bragging rights.
* Colorado at West Virginia, Oct 1 - Like the ECU game, West Virginia will be looking for another big revenge win.
* Illinois at Cincinnati, Nov 27 - The surprise Rose Bowl team from 2007 against the surprise Orange Bowl team of 2008.
Projected Standings:
West Virginia | 10-2 | 6-1
Pittsburgh | 9-3 | 5-2
USF | 8-4 | 5-2
Cincinnati | 7-5 | 4-3
Rutgers | 8-4 | 4-3
Connecticut | 5-7 | 3-4
Louisville | 4-8 | 1-6
Syracuse | 2-10 | 0-7
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